The Present Disclosure relates, generally, to metal terminals, and, more particularly
Various conventional connecting devices that are currently used have male and female connectors for connecting an electrical wire such as a cable to an electrical device or an electronic device. A technique has been proposed for inverting the orientations of male connectors and female connectors able to engage each other when the arrangement of terminals changes. An example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 57-084580, the content of which is incorporated in its entirety herein.
FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams showing a conventional connecting device. FIG. 12A is a perspective view of the female connector, and FIG. 12B is a front view of the female connector. In these figures, 811 is the housing of the female connector. The housing is made of an insulating material, and has a recessed portion 812 for receiving and engaging an inserted male connector (not shown). The female connector is connected to the end of an electrical cord 891.
The recessed portion 812 has a rectangular cross-sectional profile, and has an upper flat surface 812a and a lower flat surface 812b opposing each other and extending in the transverse direction. A female grounding terminal 851a, a female first signal terminal 851b, and a female second signal terminal 851c are arranged in sequential order from the left in FIG. 12B on the upper flat surface 812a. A female grounding terminal 851a, a female first signal terminal 851b, and a female second signal terminal 851care also arranged in sequential order from the right in FIG. 12B on the lower flat surface 812b. The male grounding terminals, male first signal terminals, and male second signal terminals arranged on the upper flat surface and lower flat surface of the rectangular tongue portion in the housing of the male connector (not shown) are arranged so as to correspond to these female grounding terminals 851a, female first signal terminals 851b, and female second signal terminals 851c.
As shown in FIG. 12B, the arrangement of the female grounding terminals 851a, female first signal terminals 851b, and female second signal terminals 851c on the upper flat surface 812a and the lower flat surface 812b are point symmetrical relative to the center point of the recessed portion 812 when viewed from the front. The male grounding terminals, male first signal terminals, and male second signal terminals of the male connector (not shown) are also point symmetrical relative to the center point of the recessed portion 812. As a result, the male connector and female connector are mated with each other even when the vertical orientation of the female connector or the male connector has been inverted.
However, in such connecting devices, the female connector has a housing 811 which has larger outer dimensions than the female grounding terminals 851a, female first signal terminals 851b, and female second signal terminals 851c. The male connector (not shown) also has a housing which has larger outer dimensions than the male grounding terminals, male first signal terminals, and male second signal terminals. As electrical devices and electronic devices become smaller, the space available to arrange the connecting device shrinks. However, a space larger than the female terminals and male terminals themselves is still required when female connectors and male connectors are used.